National Business Development Manager

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The National Business Development Manager is responsible for hunting and winning new business with mid-tier national key accounts (e.g. Ace Hardware, Grainger, Fastenal, White Cap, Colony Hardware, and similar distributors/retailers). This role builds a pipeline of net-new opportunities, converts them into profitable programs, and partners cross-functionally to launch, expand, and sustain national account growth. The role is highly external-facing and requires strong prospecting discipline, commercial negotiation, and the ability to align internal teams around customer-ready solutions.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Target & Land New National Accounts:

• Identify, prioritize, and pursue a focused list of mid-tier national targets with clear strategies, stakeholder maps, and next steps.
• Drive the end-to-end new account capture process, from first meeting through agreement, onboarding, first PO, and early success milestones.

Build & Manage A New Business Pipeline:

• Maintain an always-on prospecting cadence (outreach, discovery, demos, samples, pilots) to create consistent qualified opportunities.
• Own pipeline opportunities in CRM with accurate stages, values, close dates, risks, and action plans.

Develop Winning Account Strategies & Value Propositions:

• Create customer-specific proposals that connect product, merchandising, service levels, and margin to the account’s core objectives.
• Translate market/competitor insights into a differentiated pitch (assortment, innovation, packaging, promotions, and support).

Lead Commercial Negotiations & Close Profitable Deals:

• Negotiate pricing, terms, programs, and operational requirements to secure sustainable, margin-positive agreements.
• Coordinate internal approvals and ensure deal structures align with company policies and long-term growth goals.

Own National Account Onboarding & Launch Extension:

• Partner with operations, customer service, and supply chain to align item setup, ordering processes, and fulfillment readiness.
• Drive launch plans that include timelines, training, merchandising, marketing support, and early performance tracking.

Expand Assortment, Placement, and Program Penetration:

• Identify whitespace opportunities to increase range, category coverage, and points of distribution across the account footprint.
• Build annual/seasonal growth plans including promotions, new items, resets, and display/merchandising opportunities.

Coordinate Cross-Functional Support to Win & Retain:

• Collaborate with product/marketing to create customer-ready sell stories, content, and tools that support conversion and adoption.
• Align internal stakeholders on priorities, timelines, and deliverables to avoid launch friction and improve customer experience.

Use Data to Guide Decisions & Improve Performance:

• Track KPIs (pipeline conversion, win rate, time-to-close, launch readiness, program adoption) and adjust tactics accordingly.
• Analyze account performance and recommend corrective actions (assortment, pricing, service, promotions, inventory flow).

Represent The Brand at National Meetings & Industry Events:

• Build relationships with senior decision-makers, buying groups, and category leaders through regular travel and on-site engagement.
• Deliver compelling presentations, product training, and strategic business reviews to strengthen credibility and momentum.

Forecasting, Reporting, & Internal Communication:

• Provide accurate forecasts and updates on targets, pipeline health, key risks, and support needs.
• Maintain clear internal communication so leadership and partners can remove barriers and accelerate deal velocity.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

1. 3-5 years of B2B sales/business development experience; national account selling strongly preferred.
2. Demonstrated success opening new accounts and closing complex deals involving pricing, terms, and multi-stakeholder decisioning.
3. Experience selling into industrial supply, construction supply, hardware, or tool channels (distributor and/or retail).
4. Excellent negotiation, presentation, and communication skills with the ability to influence at buyer/category leadership levels.
5. Commercial acumen: understands margin, pricing structure, program economics, and basic financial drivers.
6. Proficiency with CRM and MS Office; comfort presenting insights and updates using dashboards and structured reporting (CRM/NetSuite familiarity a plus).
7. High ownership, resilience, and bias for action in a fast-paced, growth environment.
8. Willingness and ability to travel frequently for customer meetings, events, and launches.